Movement in her periphery stopped Ione in her tracks.Her gaze fell to the body on the altar.
“Bear witness,” Rigel announced, smiling, “to the birth of a god.”
The world went quiet, save for River’s footsteps resounding on the echoing floor.
“Rise, Sowelan.”
River’s hands wrapped around her arms, wrenching her up, back.
And on the altar, Lina opened her eyes.
Chapter Twenty
Kai
Saros’s little meet-and-greet devolved into an agonising conference, countless priests all eager to shake hands with Menon and hear about how She was going to handle what one of them hilariously called a Moth infestation.Mothballs, Kai had said, but only Hilo laughed.
Wardswas the real answer – an easy answer; these people knew fuck-all about them – and with Saros’s faith in him so low after this past week, the Archpriest did most of the talking and Kai let him.He bounced his leg restlessly beneath the table, feeling his mother’s disapproving eyes on him as minutes turned to hours.
And within him, Menon’s power beat like thousands of insect wings in his gut, a cold and heavy shiver.
He closed his eyes, let everything around him fade into a low hum.A shitty comment from Nalu, a laugh; Saros’s eager promises, talks of mass drownings and vengeance.Menon would make them pay, Moths and callous laypeople alike.There was no such thing as innocence: the neutral third parties who had let Menon’s worshipers suffer for so long were just as guilty as the Moths who summoned the fires.
Kai ached for a cigarette, a measure of verdure, a handful of snow.A hundred-year nap.River.
River.
Want me when you’re sober.Kai’s face grew hot as he pieced together the rest of what he'd thought was a dream.River had said that, he was sure of it.He ran his fingertips absently across his lips, trying to remember the exact sensation of River kissing him, the soft heat.
Did that mean River wanted him?Or would he push Kai away again?
It was full dark by the time Saros released him, head pounding and stomach tight with nerves.Despite that, he felt excited, almost giddy: by now, River would’ve found wherever Ione had gone off to.Kai would talk to them both, fix everyone’s problems but his own.But when his eyes adjusted to the low light of the hall, Kai’s heart kicked to find Cynthia waiting for him, sitting against a pillar and hugging her knees to her chest.
“Thank the gods, you were in there for hours.”She scrambled to her feet and ushered him out of the way of the rest of the priests and bootlickers exiting the meeting room.A dim lantern illuminated the fear on her face, taut and white.
“Where – where’re River and Ineen?”He motioned helplessly at the door, flanked by a pair of bored guards.“Why didn’t you just barge in if something – ”
“Archpriest Saros expressed that your meeting be disturbed by no one, Holiness,” one of the guards piped up, straightening.Uncertainty flickered in the man’s expression when Kai whirled to face him.“And – since she remains loyal to Menon’s Rejected…”
Kai clenched his fists, and as though She heard Her name, Menon seemed to uncoil within him.Stay down, he thought furiously, counting his breaths.Stay away.
Something thwacked the side of his head – Cynthia, her teeth bared, impatient.“For gods’ sakes, Kai, leave it,” she demanded.“Listen.River and I couldn’t find Ione anywhere, so we think she left the shrine to find Lina.River went after her, and – ”
“Wait – ”
“Ihavewaited.It’s after midnight, Kai, they should’ve come back by now.”She pointed at him before he interrupted.“And believe me, if anyone in this shrine but you cared whatsoever about Menon’s Rejected, I would’ve found someone else.”
The world seemed to tilt beneath him.They’d been gone for hours, then, longer than it would’ve taken to travel to Lodestone and back.He felt someone crowd up behind him, his brothers, vying for any hint of drama, but he couldn’t move, couldn’t shove them away.
“What’s this?”he heard Etan ask.
Kai swallowed, his mouth dry.“River and Ione went to Soliz and haven’t returned.”
Etan seemed to mull that over before shrugging.“Ah.Bit stupid of them.”
Hilo appeared on his other side.“Wait – Lady Ione’s gonewhere?”
Cynthia emitted a frustrated groan.“Are youallslow?One of you, for gods’ sakes, wake up and go andgetthem.”
